Game apparatus



T. BELAND GAME APPARATUS April 16, 1935.

Filed Dec. 1, 1953 Patented Apr. l6, 1935 UNITED STATES me ses GAME APPARATUfi Int rline Bla St A eXi see Meme Q beei" Canad a is or of one-hal to Cha s Boulanger, ana a t-l xi 19 fM99 1 i ease 6. C aims.-

The present invention pertains to a novel game which may be played in the home or in public places and which is highly interesting because .of the skill required to. play it.

The. amecomnrises. essentially a table havin at its to a lnre it o a al el a d itud na st ip Thes are formed re er b b means of s o n t e tabl p- In playing the sa e the player a tem ts o 're l a ball al t e enti e len th of a h s i If he ay i s ioee i l; the be enters a pa ag n h hloek a he rear end o the st i h tallto line n h p ssa eo at s se ei d ee en f the lay i un' necese i t h ll will r ll etere l ff he st i an into the adjacent slot, in which case no score is indicated. In either case, however, the balls are returned to a trough at the forward end of the table. A suitable device is provided for cancelling the score indication after the total has been taken at'the end of the game, and this device is operable from the forward end of the table.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the following description and in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a game table according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross section; and

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of one of the blocks.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characters which are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

In Figure 1 is illustrated a game table having four sturdy legs I and top rails 2. support a horizontal frame 3 to which is attached a top board 4 as may be seen more clearly in Figure 2. The intermediate portion of the board is formed with a number of longitudinal and parallel slots 5, and the board terminates short of the rear end of the table as may be also seen in Figure 2. The formation of the slots provides a series of narrow longitudinal strips 6 for a purpose which will presently be described.

At the rear end of the slots 5 is mounted a. transverse strip 7 (Fig. 2) supported by the side rails 2. Upon this strip are mounted blocks 8 corresponding in number and position to the strips 6. Each such block has a hole or passage 9 therethrough, directly in line with the corresponding strip 6. The rearward portion of each block may be reduced in size as at I ll for ornamental purposes.

In the upper portion of each block 8 is pivotally mounted a lever ll bent in such a manner The rails (or, gilt- .5)

that its. ends are substantially perpendicular to each other. One ,end of ea h lever is adapted to extend vertically into th cor e ponding passa 9 when the other end portion ies h ri ontal as shown in Figure 51. The last, named end carries a disc 12 facing forward nth ta le a d ca ry: in n appropriate score nume a .The game is ,onepf skilland played by roll: in a ball on th f rward s lid part of the top and directing it to roll along the entire length'of on of the str ps. 5- t the pla is success ul, t ball. will n e on o th as g s 9. and s rike th l ver nd moles n therein. The lever and dis car ied thereby a so li ht. as to o ter little r sis ance, to th mo em nt o t e ba l, whereupon th l ver is t lted to the positi s own in do ted l nes n F ur i so tha the s o disc. fa e h ni yer- Th ba cont nu s rollin an drop hrou h he pace l3. beyond the blocks -1 'lhe in lined bottom hoard L4 receives the ball and directs it to a trough ii at the forward end of the table.

If the ball should roll off the strip 6 before reaching the hole 9, it is received on an inclined false bottom l6 which also directs the ball to the trough as may be seen in Figure 2.

A multiple crank rod I1 is pivotally mounted on the blocks 8 and has a crank straddling each lever II. A wire l8 extends from one end of the crank rod through the forward rail of the table where it terminates in a finger loop l9. After a number of discs have been elevated by playing a predetermined number of balls, the score indicated by the discs is observed and the loop I9 is pulled, whereby the rotating crank strikes the upright parts of the levers and returns the levers and discs to the normal or zero position illustrated in Figures 2 and 4.

It will be evident that the game is very interesting because of the manual skill required in directing the balls along the comparatively narrow strips 6. Further the game apparatus is of simple construction, sturdy and durable, with comparatively few movable parts, so that there is little likelihood of any of the parts getting out of order. 7

though a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A game apparatus comprising a table frame structure, a top therein formed with a plurality of narrow strips, a block at the rear end of each strip and having a horizontal passage positioned above said strip and in line therewith, and an external score indicator on each block having a portion extending into the passage, and balls adapted to be rolled on said strips into the passages.

2. A game apparatus comprising a table frame structure, a top therein having a plurality of par allel, longitudinal slots forming a series of comparatively narrow intervening strips, a block at the rear end of each strip and having a horizontal passage positioned above said strip and in line therewith, and an external score indicator on each block having a portion extending into the passage, and balls adapted to be rolled on said strips into the passages. 1 V

3. A game apparatus comprising a table frame structure, a top therein formed with a plurality of narrow strips, a block at the rear end of each strip and having a passage in line with the strip, an external score indicator on each block and having a portion extending into the passage, balls adapted to be rolled on said strips into the passages, a bottom piece supported by said frame beneath said top and adapted to receive balls from the rear ends of said passages, said bottom piece sloping downwardly and forwardly, and a trough in the forward end of the said bottom piece.

4. A game apparatus comprising a table frame structure, a top therein having a plurality of parallel, longitudinal slots forming a series of comparatively narrow intervening strips, a block at the rear end of each strip and having a horizontal passage positioned above said strip and in line therewith, an external score indicator on each block and having a portion extending into the passages, balls adapted to be rolled on said strips into the passages, a bottom piece supported by said frame beneath said top and adapted to receive balls from the rear ends of said passages, said bottom piece sloping downwardly and forwardly, and a trough in the forward end of the said bottom piece.

5. A game apparatus comprising a table frame structure, a top therein having a plurality of parallel, longitudinal slots forming a series of comparatively narrow intervening strips, 2. block at the rear end of each strip and having a passage in line with the strip, an external score indicator on each block and having a portion extending into the passages, balls adapted to be rolled on said strips into the passages, a bottom piece supported by said frame beneath said top and adapted to receive balls from the rear ends of said passages, said bottom piece sloping downwardly and forwardly, a trough in the forward end of said bottom piece, and a false bottom member supported between said top and bottom piece and adapted to receive balls from said slots, said false bottom member sloping towards said trough. 1

6. A game apparatus comprising a table frame structure, a top therein formed with a plurality of narrow strips, a block at the rear end of each strip and having a horizontal passage positioned above said strip and in line therewith, balls adapted to be rolled on said strips into the passages, a curved lever mounted in each block and having one end extending'into the passage and an external portion provided with score indicating means, whereby contact of a ball with the lever elevates the external portion of the lever, a multiple crank rod mounted on saidblocks and having cranks adapted to engage the elevated parts of the levers, and means for turning said crank.

'I'HEOPHILE BELAND. 

